Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	75/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Blender
Entertainment Weekly	B
The Guardian
The Independent
NME	8/10
Pitchfork Media	7.7/10
Q
Rolling Stone
Spin	B

The Cure is the twelfth studio album by British alternative rock band The Cure. The album was released on 29 June 2004 by record label Geffen, and promoted with the single "The End of the World". The album was entirely produced by American producer Ross Robinson, known for his work with bands like Korn, Slipknot, and Limp Bizkit.

The Cure was co-produced by Cure frontman Robert Smith and Ross Robinson, who has previously worked with bands such as Korn, Vanilla Ice, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw and The Blood Brothers. This may explain why the songs on the album are significantly heavier than previous material by the band. Robert Smith has described the record as "Cure heavy", as opposed to "new-metal heavy". According to the liner notes, the entire album was recorded live in the studio.

According to Smith, the official track listing of The Cure includes the closing track "Going Nowhere", which was excluded from North American pressings of the album. Demos of three songs recorded during the album's sessions, titled "A Boy I Never Knew", "Please Come Home" and "Strum", have leaked as mp3 files.

The artwork was designed by Robert Smith's nephews and nieces, who were children, and were unaware that their drawings were to be put onto the album. The drawings were supposed to be of a 'good dream' and a 'bad dream' from each of his nieces and nephews. He put a compilation of the best drawings on the album and then produced it.

The Cure is the first record by the band released by producer Ross Robinson's I Am label, with whom The Cure signed a three-album deal. To promote the album, the band appeared at several festivals in Europe and the United States in spring 2004. They also premièred the song "The End of the World" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In the summer of 2004, the band launched the Curiosa festival, where they performed shows across the United States with a number of bands who have been inspired by The Cure, including Mogwai, Interpol and Muse. The band then performed in Mexico, followed by additional festivals and televised performances in Europe, culminating with the end of 2004. By the end of the year, every song from The Cure had been performed live by the band.

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